Naming – it's all in a catchy name
Everything good in business starts with a catchy name. Every entrepreneur who decides to start their own business quickly faces the challenge of naming - i.e. giving a name to their company and the products or services it offers. Naming tells your customers who you are. This is a very important first step in creating any brand's identity and can determine its success.
A good name should be short, understandable and easy to remember. To achieve success, you should evoke emotions: amuse, shock, surprise and bring back fond memories. Maybe the company name itself won't yet move your audience, but the right storytelling definitely will. Surely you are familiar with the brilliant messages (claims) by brands that have made history, such as "Just do it" by Nike or "The power to do more" by Dell. Note that they are short and refer to the aforementioned companies' core values. Also, they have connotations with certain emotions, making them easily memorable and resonant. Creating a legendary claim or a catchy slogan requires excellent knowledge of your target group (the concerns, needs, aspirations or dreams of your audience) and skilful messaging adaptation.
Naming is based on the art of abbreviation and minimalism. It operates with idiomatic phrases, brilliant word games or metaphors that provide immediate and intuitive associations. There is no room for boredom in the consumer world, which is why repeating clichéd platitudes won't pay off at all. It would help if you also were careful of the desire to stand out, as it is easy to overdo it. Strange, difficult or confusing names can effectively discourage or even scare off customers.
Corporate identity – you don't exist without it
Each company has its own corporate identity, which allows the public to easily identify the brand and distinguish it from others. It is a structured system of distinctive signs highlighting the particular company's mission or values. The scope of a brand's identity includes:
- a unique company logo (logotype),
- an expressive key visual (colour scheme),
- clearly defined communication standards (e.g. a brand book).
The visual identity design stage is extremely important, as it brings out the identity of the organisation. Both the corporate logo and key visuals should match the brand's nature and relate to the industry in which the company operates. These are the basic elements that enable building branding (brand awareness).
In visual communication, chaos is unacceptable. Consistency is the key to the hearts and minds of consumers who believe that what they see is what they get. To build a company's positive image and recognisability in the market, it is essential to pay special attention to the quality and consistency of the messages generated at all levels. Consistent graphics or product labelling are essential to consolidate information about your brand and offer. Moreover, if a company conducts its activities thoughtfully, following its original vision, exudes an atmosphere of reliability and professionalism.
Branding – Your Brand Promise
Naming and visual identity create the brand's identity, while branding determines its comittment. Branding involves building brand awareness through appropriately selected marketing channels and tools. Importantly, they should be staggered to gradually strengthen the company's market position. Creating a positive brand image is complex, requiring good strategy, consistency, and time commitment. Therefore, the results in popularity or higher profits are not immediately apparent.
Branding is a communication strategy comprising all verbal and visual messaging consolidating the desired brand image among the audience. It is also a promise you make to your customers, which you obviously should deliver on. For example, if your promotional activities communicate that you offer robust and durable products, they should be just that. In marketing, a lie catches up to you fast, as some businesses have painfully found out (Veclaim's "Tag Crisis" is a perfect example).
Let's do it!
A strong brand provides a huge competitive advantage and considerable benefits, so it pays to do your due diligence and be patient. When building brand awareness, utilising the power of naming and the potential of visual identity pays enormous dividends. Another good move is developing comprehensive brand communication following a unified concept. Remember to evoke positive emotions and establish long-lasting relationships with customers. Consumers are much more likely to choose products and services from brands they know, value and identify with. However, recognition and trust must be earned, and consistent and coherent action is the key to success.